WICKED: PART 1

Review: Elphaba and Galinda meet at Shiz University in the Land of Oz and forge an unlikely but profound friendship. After an encounter with the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, their friendship reaches a crossroads and their lives after take very different paths.
Director: Jon M. Chu
Actors: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Marissa Bode, Peter Dinklage, Andy Nyman, Bowen Yang, Bronwyn James, Aaron Teoh Guan Ti, Shaun Prendergast, Keala Settle, Sharon D. Clarke, Jenna Boyd and Colin Michael Carmichael
Year: 2024
Genre: Adventure, Family, Fantasy, Musical and Romance
Conclusion: 4/5
The stage play was based on a novel by Gregory Maguire. I cannot compare both as I have not seen the stage play. Apparently, this film does take us up to where the interval is in the stage play. This is a very long film standing in at 2h 40m. Directed by Jon M. Chu who also directed Crazy Rich Asians (2018). I thought that casting Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande is genius. When Cynthia Erivo auditioned for this film her audition was three hours long. Apparently, Ariana Grande auditioned five times for the part of Glinda. Lady Gaga was offered the role of Elphaba, but ultimately decided to turn it down as she was cast in another film. Watching this I almost felt they were both enjoying their roles and working together. I thought all the songs were terrific and all so memorable. I also enjoyed all the dance scenes as they were all so choreographed. The second part is called Wicked: For Good released 21st November 2025 and also directed by Jon M. Chu. The themes in this include friendship and prejudice. At the Academy Awards in 2025 this won 2 Oscars. They were for Best Achievement in Production Design and Best Achievement in Costume Design. At the Bafta Awards in 2025 this also won 2 awards. They were for Best Costume Design and Best Production Design. At the Golden Globe Awards in 2025 this won for Cinematic and Box Office Achievement.